It's the weekends again. So far, I've not had a single weekend where I'm in my room at least 1/2 of the time, even though this year's workload inevitably demands this and certainly more. (You probably can't imagine just how much stuff there is to be covered this year, and neither can I till it became a reality=p) Then again, if that had been the way my weekends were spent, (i.e. if work had been the Sole Thing my student life revolves round) I may just have wasted my entire existence as a student in the UK altogether. After all, these years spent here will certainly be one of the most memorable ones in my life, as I am sure will be for most students too. I want to lead them in a way that will allow me to look back fondly upon them years down the road... and to be able to share my experiences with my close friends and family-animatedly and nostalgically.

Anyway, I've just returned from a good dinner at some singaporean friends' place. Didn't really get to talk to them much previously except for the occasional chit-chats when we meet on the way to school/town or back, so tonight's gathering was a warm welcome. Especially after a long day, with a late friday tutorial that began when the UK sun was just beginning its early retirement for the day, and ended when it has fully taken its leave. Winter's officially here again, and the season of long-nights-short-days is just beginning. I had so wanted to capture some final moments of the pretty fall scenery before the trees lose their leaves altogether, taking the colours with them. Alas, my camera is dysfunctional, and the weather had not been exactly kind this week for photo-shoots.




The mention of weekends brings me back to the one that had just passed, and an earlier one which I spent in London with friends, one of whom just turned 21. =) It'd been some pretty tiring and at times even preplexing time that had passed since then, but that doesn't at all negate the fun I had meanwhile. The trip down to London was enjoyable, even if I had initially felt it kind of silly for me to go all the way down with people attending the Singnight (An annual ball for UK singaporeans) when all I had wanted to do was to accompany friends, meet some others, and to catch a musical. The first two I did, but the last I had to give it a miss since the tickets then were too expensive for any of us to fulfill our matinee hopes. Still, I was glad for the chance to catch up with some pals I haven't met for a while, and even made new friends! Haha...but I accumulated so much sleep debt over the weekend that it took nearly a full week to recuperate. =p And soon after, it's the Nottingham Malaysian-Singaporean Games... and another packed weekend unfolded.

I must say that it was a really enjoyable weekend, really. Before all else, let me do a short intro on the Notts games. It's an annual Sports event for Malaysians & Singaporeans from all over the UK to gather at Notts to compete in friendly matches- we have 14 sports items this year. Each year, I volunteered in the games, so I didn't get to play. This year though, I had really wanted to play either badminton or floorball, but my commitment as sports captain in one of the segment didn't allow me the time to play either games. The training session for floorball had been fun, however, and that's enough for me for now. The same weekend, I had some friends over from London. Was really happy to have them around. Oh..and Calvin came up for Notts games too! It's so interesting to meet a S62er in a place that I've grown accustomed to being around other friends that I made here; it was just nice to be able to catch up on things with a familiar face from school.

For that sat night, I somehow ended up watching shuang1 tian1 zhi4 zhun1 series II with some Singaporeans at my friend's place. Initially the whole feeling of watching a Channel 8 show that we all grew up with in a Notts-hostel-setting felt quite surreal. But we soon settled down and began reminiscing about how we used to be so caught up with some of the now-seemingly lame plots. Heh. And how time flies by so quickly. Ended up sleeping quite late that night too, talking with one of the gals who bunked in with me for the night.

The next day the lot of us visited a windmill in Notts- Green's Mill. The picture below is taken at the site. I was really taken by the whole 'rural' feeling and felt kind of excited when we finally reached the mill... and when we were within the windmill itself, seeing the process of grains grinded and sacks of stacked flour packed. Then it was shopping in the city centre, and dinner.

So sher, the trick to that priceless weekend was not to throw away the price tag attached to the day...

But simply to be in the company of people that you find yourself being at ease with.